


The Ocean's Wish

by reversi94



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Angst, F/F, Romance, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-10 22:57:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10449465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reversi94/pseuds/reversi94
Summary: Umi has been in love with Eli for as long as she can remember. However, it's painfully obvious Eli and Nozomi are a thing...right?





	1. Shameless

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I really, REALLY wanted to make this story ambiguous but did not want to lead on NozoEli shippers. EliUmi is my ultimate otp and I'll be writing lots of stories about them. There may be delays between chapters because I'm extremely anal about my own writing and want to do this pairing justice. There's a few chapters now since I originally posted this on ff. I hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Work in progress. I had this listed as a completed fic but it's not T.T I changed it now but sorry if you read this and thought chapter 3 was the end. It wasn't. I just didn't know how to use this site bleh.

Eli's giggling could be heard throughout the hallways of Otonokizaka high.

"You're awfully feisty this afternoon," Eli purred.

"My darling Elichka," Nozomi uttered. "How could I resist such beauty?"

The two girls were enveloped in a tight embrace with each other. Nozomi broke her hold and stared into Eli's eyes. There was something she needed to say and this was the perfect time.

"Eli.." Nozomi quickly averted her gaze and stared at the floor. "Did you get any love letters today?"

Eli tilted her head back slightly and began to ponder.

"Hmm..I believe I got around five today," Eli mumbled, "it's hard to keep track anymore".

Nozomi looked back up at the blonde, a slight blush began to develop across her cheeks.

"What if I told you.." Nozomi began to nervously explain, "that I know who wrote one of those confessions?"

Eli raised one eyebrow and looked at Nozomi suspiciously. She took a step towards the purple haired girl without averting her gaze. Nozomi gulped.

"Oh, I wonder who that could be?" Eli answered. "Enlighten me, Nozomi."

 _Okay, this is finally it. Don't screw it up._ Nozomi thought to herself. She placed one hand on Eli's cheek.

"I don't know about the other four people but," Nozomi moved her face towards Eli, "one of those letters was from m-"

BANG!

The door to the Student Council room violently slid open. An agitated girl stormed in with her head engrossed in some documents.

"Eli! I need new application forms. Now." Umi demanded. Her attention still directed at the destroyed documents in her hand. "Everything was completed but Honoka decided to be careless and spilt juice on them," Umi let out a long sigh.

She scrunched up the _juicy_ documents and threw them in the bin. That is when she finally noticed what was going on in front of her.

Umi froze.

"Sorry for intruding," Umi said while politely bowing. She stepped back out of the room and slammed the door shut.

 _H-how SHAMELESS!_ Umi internally screamed while running far, far away from that scene. Her face had gone tomato red and she was trying to erase the image of Nozomi and Eli from her mind. It looked like they were about to kiss and that really irked her. It made her feel annoyed. It made her feel angry. It made her feel..

Umi stopped running. She was outside the school building. The sky looked warm, as the sun had begun to descend. The young girl placed her hand over her heart, trying to calm it down.

"It makes me feel..heartbroken," Umi smiled sadly, tears beginning to form. "I knew this was going to happen. All of my preparation for this day didn't help."

Umi slowly made her way home, visualising what tomorrow would hold. She knew it was going to be a world full of Nozomi and Eli. Together.

Umi cursed at herself for not being brave enough to confess. However, it seemed like a lost cause. Everyone saw how close the two student council members were. There was no way Eli reciprocated Umi's feelings.

* * *

 

Laughter was travelling around the halls of Otonokizaka High School. It was coming from a certain blonde. Again.

"Umi is so adorable when angry," Eli continued to laugh, "I'm going to tease her about this all day tomorrow".

Nozomi didn't reply. She was finally going to confess but it was not meant to be. For today, at least.

That's right.

There was always tomorrow.

Nozomi smiled and finally replied, "Honoka will be punished tomorrow hehehe". The purple haired girl made squeezing motions with her hands.

"Oh, that reminds me," Eli wondered, "Who wrote me one of the love letters today?"

Nozomi grinned, "My lips are sealed". She made a zipping motion over her lips and threw away an imaginary key.

"What?!" Eli exclaimed, "Even knowing just one person would be helpful".

"Why is that?" Nozomi replied, growing interested.

Eli sighed, "So I can at least let them know I don't feel the same".

Nozomi was speechless.

"The person I like..no, love," Eli continued, "would never write a confession letter to me".

Nozomi snapped back to her senses. "Eli, how can you be so sure?"

Eli was looking into the distance, "Hmm, oh because that would be too..never mind, let's go!"

Eli grabbed Nozomi's hand and began to run out of the school.

"Wait! I didn't even get my bag, Eli!" Nozomi objected.

"Alright, alright, I'll just wait for you here," Eli poked her tongue out at the purple haired girl.

As Eli was waiting outside, her mind went adrift. How could she be so sure that her love would never write a confession?

Well, that question was easy to answer.

Doing something like writing a love letter would be too..

"Shameless." Eli said aloud, laughing to herself.


	2. Yuuki

It was a peaceful day at Otonokizaka High. The birds were chirping away happily. Soft, sakura petals blissfully danced in the slight breeze. In the beautiful midday sky, there seemed to be a golden sparkle. It captivated those who saw it, as they were trying to figure out what it was. The unknown object appeared to be descending at an abnormally fast rate. The shiny object had hit the floor with a bang. A curious group of students rushed over to uncover its true nature. Upon further inspection, the captivating object turned out to be a…

Juice bottle.

* * *

 

Honoka could not believe what had just happened. She was staring at Umi in shock, the latter appearing agitated, tapping her fingers on the desk she was sitting at.

"Honoka, did Umi just throw your juice out the window?" Kotori asked.

Honoka looked at the window in confusion and then turned back to face Kotori, "I think so?"

The leader of Muse was extremely baffled but then a thought occurred to her. There was a perfect explanation for this. Umi's behaviour made sense now.

"This is…this is all just a dream." Honoka closed her eyes and brought her hands up to her cheeks.

SLAP!

"Owwww," Honoka whined. This caught Umi's attention.

"Don't slap yourself again, this isn't a dream," Umi replied, becoming increasingly agitated. Her fingers continued to tap on the desk even faster. Kotori walked over to Honoka and caressed her back.

"You know, Honoka bought you that juice to make up for yesterday," Kotori said, giving a concerned look to Umi. "This isn't like you."

Umi stopped her finger rhythm and shot up from her seat, the chair made an unpleasant screeching noise.

"I'm fine, really," Umi looked at the two girls sadly, "I'm sorry". The blue haired girl quickly grabbed her bag and rushed out of the classroom.

 _How could I be so irresponsible?_ Umi thought.

Suddenly, images of Nozomi leaning over Eli flashed through Umi's mind. The young girl stopped walking and sighed, her blue locks covered her face. Somehow, she had managed to avoid Eli all day, which helped immensely. Umi dealt with her unrequited love alone, but it never became easier. If only she could muster up some courage and be more like..

Nozomi.

In a way, she envied how bold and brave the older girl was, especially with her affections towards Eli. Nozomi flirted with Eli, something Umi was too embarrassed to do. NozoEli was always a hot gossip topic throughout the school. Eli did have a lot of fangirls after all, it was only natural they'd be curious.

Fangirls. That was one thing Eli and Umi had in common.

_'If we became lovers, would the whole school fall into a sea of lamentations?'_

Umi's face turned red. A fleeting sentence Eli once said had ingrained itself in her memories. 

Umi realised how long she'd been standing in the same place and snapped back to her senses. She turned around and started to walk towards wherever the bottle landed. It was her responsibility to go and pick it up. The girl quickly became lost in her thoughts again, losing sight of her surroundings. 

THUD!

She had bumped into a certain someone.

"I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings," she panicked and looked at the fallen girl, realising who it was.

Umi immediately turned her head, trying to hide her developing blush.

'Help me up, silly," the blonde gently said while holding out her hand.

The blue haired girl slowly faced Eli and put her hand out, but then quickly retreated. She knew this was dangerous. Slight physical contact with her love would destroy all of the composure she had built up.

_No, I'm the one that bumped into her. It would be rude if I didn't help her up._

She looked at her hand and clenched it into a fist. This wasn't even a big deal, now was the time to learn how to control her feelings. Umi unclenched her hand and slowly reached out to Eli.

 _It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter,_ Umi chanted to herself.

Their hands were almost together. Eli was smiling while Umi was trying not to have a breakdown. Just a bit more and the two girls would be in a state of bliss.

 _I just want to touch her, I need to touch her._ Umi closed her eyes, expecting to feel Eli's warmth but instead, she felt nothing.

She opened her eyes to see that Nozomi had appeared from nowhere and swept Eli off her feet. The notion made Eli laugh as she was holding onto the older girl.

It could never be simple. Umi quickly drew back her hand and walked away. There was no reason to stay. Her hopes had been brought up for no reason. This mistake would not happen again.

If only she knew the pained look her love was giving.

"Wow, that was unexpected," Eli exclaimed. She averted her gaze away from Umi and back to Nozomi. "I already asked Umi for help."

Nozomi looked confused, "Umi was here?"

Eli was baffled, "How could you not see her?"

"Well, I only have eyes for you," Nozomi smirked.

Eli rolled her eyes and laughed. Typical Nozomi.

* * *

 

Otonokizaka High was empty for the evening. All the students had made their way home. Every bird was asleep and the sakura petals stood still. The sky was a deep black with contrasting stars shining. A broken juice bottle remained on the floor, its contents long gone.

It had cried until no more tears could come out.

Just like its owner.


	3. A Maze of Dreams

An avalanche of love letters came pouring out of Eli's shoe locker. The blonde closed her eyes while inhaling slowly and calmly through her nose. She held her breath for a few seconds before exhaling violently. Eli knelt down quickly, bundled up all the letters and shoved them in her bag. She slammed the shoe locker door and turned around in a huff, stomping out of the school.

Eli truly appreciated affections being shown to her but there was a certain pang of guilt every time she received them. All of these confessions and sweet nothings were never going to be reciprocated because Eli already loved..

"Nozomi?", the blonde exclaimed as she felt arms wrap around her from behind.

Nozomi squeezed Eli, "Ohhh, how did you know it was me?"

"You know, all of the um..", Eli's face became flustered while she cleared her throat, "Washi Washi things you've done has..familiarised me with your hands".

"Ohohohohoh", Nozomi grinned while flexing her fingers. "That reminds me..Washi, Washi, MAX!"

"NOZOMI!", Eli exclaimed. Her face was turning a dark shade of red as she tried to escape. Somehow, she managed to break free from Nozomi's wrath.

 _Her blushing face looks so cute_. Nozomi thought, smiling to herself. "I've just finished my meeting with Umi and Rin", she explained.

Eli had finally calmed herself down. "That's great! I'm excited to hear Lily White's new song."

"I'd be excited too if I knew what we were singing about", Nozomi sighed. "Umi hasn't been herself lately. She isn't even reacting to my washi's anymore."

Eli looked at Nozomi seriously, "Tell me everything."

"All I know is that she was writing lyrics for a new song..I'm trying to remember the name", Nozomi paused. "It was…oh yes! Garasuno no Hanazono."

"Glass Garden?", Eli replied.

"Yes, I'm certain that was the name", Nozomi nodded confidently. "She said that this wasn't a Lily White song and then kept apologising for letting Rin and I down."

"Ah, I see. BiBi and Printemps already have completed songs and Umi feels bad because her own group doesn't. But..", Eli wondered, "why would she not use this song?"

"She said that it's meant to be a duet song. She won't show anyone the lyrics though", Nozomi continued. "So, I thought you could talk to her."

Eli blinked in disbelief a few times. "Why me?"

"Umi likes you", Nozomi stated.

"WHAT?!" Eli shouted, using her hands to cover her mouth.

 _So that's how she feels._  Nozomi thought.

Nozomi tilted her head in bemusement. "Yes? You two are good friends. I didn't think I needed to tell you that."

Eli tried to play off her exaggerated reaction from before but failed. "W-well, in that case, why didn't you ask Honoka or Kotori?"

"Everyone has tried to talk to her, you're the only one left", Nozomi grinned. "So please find out what's going on with my cute Umi."

Nozomi turned around and waved her hand goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow, Eli."

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

 

Nozomi already knew.

She allowed herself to be selfish yesterday, of course she could see Umi trying to help Eli up. The purple haired girl was not proud of her actions but her body moved on its own.

Nozomi sighed. _Even the stars can't help me with this._

Someone was going to be hurt. Eli loved one of them, Nozomi could tell that much. Yet, it was impossible to know who, without actually asking her.

Nozomi had her confession planned out but, to say she was confident, would be a lie. She was even planning to confess her love to Eli, see her reaction and then tell her it was a joke.

In a way, she was envious of Umi. Umi didn't need to flirt because Eli's gaze lingered on her already. Umi didn't need to be bold and brave with her affections, Eli already found her adorable.

It had become clear. Eli's reaction to hearing Umi liked her, said it all.

The person that Eli loved was Um-

Nozomi suddenly felt arms hugging her from behind.

"You didn't say goodbye properly", the blonde girl smiled.

_My wish has not been extinguished yet._

Nozomi smiled while allowing herself to drown in the warmth of her love.


	4. Chocolate & Manjuu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Umi allows herself to be caught up in her feelings for Eli.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter has just made me so excited for the day I make Eli and Umi confess to each other. My head canon on why Umi wrote Garasu no Hanazono and why everyone decided Nozomi and Eli were the ones to sing it.

_Dear Umi,_

_I-I think you are so cool! Could you please be my onee-sama?_

_Love, Hanabi_

Umi looked up at her bedroom ceiling and smiled.  _I'm so lucky to have such wonderful kouhai._

_Dear Hanabi,_

_Thank you for your kind words. If you would accept me as your onee-sama then I gladly oblige._

_Sincerely, Umi_

Umi folded up the reply, placed it in an envelope and added it to the towering stack of letters beside her.

_*ding ding*_

Umi sighed.  _That's probably Honoka sending me lyric ideas again._ Umi rose up out of her chair and went over to her phone.  _I don't know how many times I have to tell her, I'm not writing a song about bread._

As she unlocked her phone, it became apparent that the sender was not Honoka. Umi nervously bit her thumb as her eyes quickly scanned the message.

_Umi,_

_Everyone is concerned about you. You've also been avoiding me. Please remember that I'm your friend, you can talk to me about anything that's troubling you._

_\- Eli_

Umi swiftly turned off the phone and threw it on her bed. She walked towards her bedside table and gently brushed her hand across a small stack of papers. A bittersweet smile crept onto her face as she flicked through the pages. Umi closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel the emotions she had been trying to suppress.

She envisioned Eli and herself walking side by side in a beautiful garden. The crisp wind was blowing ever so softly while a lingering scent of lilies filled the air. Umi turned to face Eli and was greeted with a smile that shone brighter than the warm sun overhead. She suddenly felt a soft sensation on her lips that tasted faintly of sweet chocolate. They were all alone in this secret glass garden and were free to bloom however they wanted. A hidden romance full of longing glances and..

Loneliness.

The young girl quickly opened her eyes and noticed her hand had subconsciously been gripping her chest. Umi brought her attention back to the lyrics in front of her.  _This song is so shameless but.._

Umi slowly moved two fingers over her smooth lips.

_So real._

* * *

"Oh my god!", Kotori and Hanayo squealed in unison. "These lyrics are perfect for Nozomi and Eli!"

Umi's dead eyes stared at the wall in front of her.

"Okay..I don't understand why but I'll get onto composing the music for this soon", Maki replied cautiously.

A short, black haired girl let out a burst of laughter. "Are you _seriously_  that dense, Maki?"

Maki snapped her head around to face the shorter girl, "Wow, I didn't know trash could talk!"

Nico stopped laughing and stared daggers at the red haired girl.

Maki smirked and averted her gaze, looking pleased with herself.

Hanayo nervously darted her eyes side to side and quietly whispered, "Maki, it's because they have a forbidden romance".

Umi continued to observe the wall, her eyes growing even more lifeless.  _I wonder how many layers of paint are on this wall._

"No way!", Honoka exclaimed.

"Oh god, here's another one", Nico loudly sighed. "Look kiddos, if you haven't noticed that Nozomi and Eli are getting it on..then you are literally blind."

 _I see a slightly darker white underneath this shade of white so I know there's currently two layers of paint._ Umi had completely shut down.

Maki seemed to be the only one who noticed Umi's demeanour. She decided to keep quiet about it.

"The only blind one is you", Maki nonchalantly replied. "It's pretty obvious Eli only sees Nozomi as a friend."

Nico scoffed. "Oh? And who made you the love expert? Do you even know what love means?"

Maki quickly glanced to her left and cleared her throat, "Maybe. Who knows? But then again, I could ask you the same thing".

Nico's face turned a violent shade of red. She grabbed her bag and stomped out of the Idol Club room.

Maki rolled her eyes so far back into her head that they were at risk of getting stuck there. "I guess I should go and apologise, I'll see you all later."

Before she left, Maki quickly looked at Umi and saw that the girl was still staring intently at the wall.

 _Umi, we're both idiots in regards to love, aren't we?_ Maki thought, as she closed the door behind her and chased after Nico.

"Um…guys..you do know we've been here this whole time?", Nozomi quietly said as her hands were shielding her red, hot face.

* * *

As Eli fell asleep that night, her dream was full of mazes. One was a beautiful, secret garden harbouring the hidden romance of two girls. She saw a dark haired girl there. Someone who had a smile that shone brighter than the sun. She walked towards the girl, trying to see who it was. Suddenly, the dark haired girl had brushed her lips against Eli's. It was a soft sensation that tasted faintly of..

Manjuu.


	5. Storm in Lover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some EliUmi action. This is only the tip of the iceberg though. Low-key vented my frustrations of being an EliUmi shipper in a NozoEli dominated society, in Umi's little monologue lol. Hope you enjoy!

Eli was humming cheerfully as she walked to school with a bounce in her step. She had burned every vivid detail from last night's dream into her memory. Under usual circumstances, Eli would ignore these hopeless feelings. But, how could she forget such a heavenly fantasy? The blonde gave it some thought and quickly concluded that indulging in these emotions for one day would be okay. Although, she couldn't help but feel that there was something important she had forgotten. She stopped and pondered for a short moment, furrowing her brow. As Eli was ticking off a mental checklist in her head, the dark sky began to rumble and water droplets suddenly fell from above.

The blonde looked up and felt the cold kiss of rain sliding down her face.

* * *

I SAYYYYYY, HEY! HEY! HEY START DASH!

Umi frowned as she groggily reached out for her phone. A peaceful slumber had just been prematurely disturbed. She quickly glanced at the time and threw her phone back on the bedside table. Umi closed her eyes and tried to resume where her had dream left off. It was of her and Eli playing in the sea, waves splashing over them as they tried to splash each other. An idiotic grin plastered itself onto Umi's face.

_This passion makes me feel like I will melt, and it's because of you._

* * *

I SAYYYYYYYY, HEY! HEY! HEY! START DASH!

Umi's eyes shot open and glared at her phone in disgust. How dare it awaken her again. Reality wasn't a joyous occasion at the moment, so if Dream Umi was off gallivanting into the sunset with Dream Eli then she would remain asleep until that dream ended naturally.

She groaned and rolled out of bed, picking up her phone. As Umi glanced at the dimly lit screen, she noticed the time and all of a sudden, reality hit her.

"I'm going to be late!", Umi panicked aloud.

* * *

Umi frantically grabbed her schoolbag and dashed towards the front door. She grabbed the handle, quickly swung the door open and was greeted with an unfamiliar sight.

"Eli?"

* * *

Two girls were walking to school together, shielded by a lone blue umbrella. The storm overhead was creating chaos in a certain girls mind.  _She's so close. Too close. I'm going to faint. Yes. I'm actually going to faint. Oh my god. No…no! I can't indulge in these feelings, I need to be strong. She doesn't love me. She loves.._

Umi curiously turned her head to face Eli's and noticed the blonde was already facing her.

"You're a lifesaver, Umi", Eli said while flashing the younger girl a smile.

Umi blushed and immediately turned her head away.

Eli kept her gaze on the younger girl as she continued to talk. "I'm really excited for the duet with Nozomi."

Umi sighed, "I'm..glad".

_Enough is enough._

Eli stomped her foot and stopped walking, she was no longer under the protection of Umi's umbrella. Umi immediately noticed the warmth beside her had left. She turned around to see where Eli had gone and saw the blonde standing with her head face down, clenching her fists.

"Have I done something to you, Umi?" Eli calmly asked, her head continuing to face the floor. She was completely soaked by the rain.

Umi's face expressed pure confusion.  _Why is she standing in the rain? She came to my house just to use an umbrella and now she's doing this? Why couldn't she have asked me this less..dramatically?_

"Eli, what are you doing?", Umi finally replied. "Please, just come back here an-"

"Don't ignore my question", Eli's face shot up and glared at Umi. It was almost as if she was looking down on the younger girl.

"You've done nothing wrong.", Umi responded coldly.

Eli bitterly laughed, "Oh? Really? So I guess ignoring me this whole month is normal?"

Umi opened her mouth to respond but stopped herself. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

_I'm ignoring you because I love you. I've been avoiding you because every time I'm near you I can't control these feelings of wanting to embrace you. I know that you love Nozomi. I know that Nozomi loves you. I know that everyone loves NozoEli. Where do I fit in all of this? Nowhere. Painful doesn't even begin to describe how it felt having to hear everyone yesterday. Nominating the song I wrote about my feelings for you, as a duet for you and Nozomi. I suppose that's how it should've been all along though. Everyone supports you two, so why wouldn't it be the obvious choice? Why am I still surprised? You have every right to be angry at me. But I can never tell you these feelings. I don't want to be known as the person who ruined you and Nozomi. I wish I could be brave and tell you but I can't. Not when this is all so hopeless._

Umi opened her eyes. Her grip on the umbrella had tightened so much that it began to shake. "I'm sorry."

"Umi, just tell me what's wrong!", Eli began to raise her voice.

The blue umbrella began to shake uncontrollably. It's owner had begun to compete with the sky for most tears.

"I can't!", Umi's voice cracked as she began to sob. She threw her umbrella to the side and used both hands to cover her face. The cold kiss of rain had now enveloped Umi.

Not for long though.

Umi felt warmth. The type of warmth she had only experienced in her dreams. Perhaps this was all a dream. There was no way this was actually happening.

There was no way Eli was embracing her right now.

As if it was on cue, the rain stopped.

However, a storm was still erupting within the two girls. It was a storm of..

Love.

* * *

A lone purple umbrella walked past the storm of love, its owner feigning ignorance.

_Lonely…content to be lonely…_


	6. Ayase Eli

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt extra inspired to write so here's another chapter. This has been my absolute favourite to write so far. I present to you, Eli's POV (finally!!).

_The fabric of time held no meaning during this moment. Every useless thought and everything that wasn't related to her, had been discarded. How long had I yearned for this? How long had I deprived myself of this feeling? Her warm body against mine felt like a missing jigsaw piece falling into place. Although, I couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same or if I was entrapped in a delusion. Trying to recall past moments of skin-ship with her was not difficult. There were only a handful of times after all. This was a first though. Embracing each other whole heartedly in a storm. A storm which conveniently subsided after we united. A metaphorical coincidence at best. But could you blame me for thinking of other reasons. Fate? Destiny? Was there any substance to these words? I've told myself time and time again that these feelings will settle down if I just wait.._

_How long have I been waiting?_

_Playing the fool and feigning ignorance have become second nature. Stolen glances and playful teasing have been my indulgence. The thought of confessing to you has crossed my mind a countless amount of times. But in reality, time moves forward unsympathetically. μ's will disband soon. We won't have as much time together…_

_I know in my heart that these are just excuses._

_My reasoning for not confessing is quite cliche'. I fear you will decline. I feel that ignoring these emotions and drifting apart would be less painful than knowing you don't feel the same. It's quite pathetic. I can't lose you though. Even if we just remain friends, that would be enough. Yes, just friends would be alright._

_My heart feels like it's screaming and trying to jump out of my chest, just to object that statement._

_"_ _Lies!", it would yell._

_I'm well aware of what my true emotions are. But I will continue to play the fool and hope these feelings fade away in time. My sweet, dearest Umi. I love you so much._

_But you will never know._

* * *

Eli smiled and slowly released her grip on Umi, trying to create a distance between them.

"No", Umi said, while wrapping her arms around Eli again.

Eli's heart skipped a beat. Her soft, white cheeks quickly turned into a deep crimson. This wasn't like Umi. Eli stood bewildered for a moment while she tried to regain her composure. She cleared her throat and placed her hands on Umi's shoulders and gently pushed her away.

"We're going to be late", Eli said, noticing the tears in Umi's eyes starting to well up again. Her face softened as she tried to console the younger girl. "Umi..please tell me what's wrong."

Umi looked at the blonde sadly before abruptly walking away. She couldn't hold it in anymore and started to cry again. Umi looked back at her love and let her feelings loose, running back into the blonde's arms and burying herself in bliss. Eli's eyes went blank as she refused to reciprocate the hug.

_If I hold on now, I'm scared I won' t be able to let go._

"You want to know what's wrong?", Umi raised her head and placed it against Eli's forehead. She looked deep into her azure eyes.

Eli maintained her blank stare with great difficulty.

"I'm not brave enough to tell you", she started to weep and held the older girl again. "Can we just stay like this, a little longer?"

Eli thought about it for a few moments before releasing herself from Umi's embrace and walked towards the abandoned umbrella. Umi watched as she picked it up and walked back towards her. Eli held the umbrella above them whilst using her free hand to reach out to Umi. She looked to the side, unable to mask her emotions any longer.

"We're really going to be locked out of the school at this point, Umi."  _I'm making the biggest mistake but I can't just ignore how vulnerable she is right now._

"We could..hold hands on the way if you'd like. I know it's not much but please allow me to carry some of your burden", Eli said, purposefully avoiding Umi's gaze.

Umi looked at the outstretched hand before her. The warm sun had begun to peek through the dark clouds and was positioned above Eli. The light beamed down on the blonde making her look like a literal goddess. Umi slowly reached her hand out and gently placed it into Eli's. The blonde had finally given in and met Umi's eyes.

Their smiles were protected by Umi's umbrella. They were both soaked and it wasn't raining anymore. But they were allowed to indulge in each other for just a short while longer. Both girls felt their hearts sing and yet, both were so unaware that their feelings were connected.

They strolled along to Otonokizaka High, hand in hand and beaming with happiness.

* * *

 

An ominous presence had made its appearance as it loomed over all. Intimidating everyone and anyone who were unlucky enough to cross its path.

The school gate was closed.

"Eli..how are we meant to get inside now?", Umi said, trying her best to keep calm.

"D-don't worry, I am the Student Council President after all", Eli said with no confidence whatsoever.

_…_ _Harasho ja nai._


	7. Sonoda Umi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: My heart fell into a state of bliss writing this. When I feel a chapter has conveyed the message I wanted it to convey then it is finished. This one happened to be quite short but my god..the emotions I felt while writing it were so intense.

“I know you are both serious students so I will let this incident slide”, Principal Minami said as she sorted through some documents. She paused and looked up at the two girls sitting in front of her. One maintained a neutral expression while the other looked like she was going to have a mental breakdown. 

 

Minami sighed. “Umi, you’re not in trouble. Just don’t let it happen again.”

 

“W-we are in your debt Principal Minami. I-I promise this will n-never happen again”, Umi’s voice trembled as she shot up from her chair.

 

“SUMIMASEN!”

 

*BANG*

 

“Pffft”, Eli covered her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter.

 

Umi’s bow had been so enthusiastic that she slammed her head straight onto Principal Minami’s desk. 

 

Minami shook her head in disbelief and sighed again. “Apology accepted. You can go back to class.” 

 

Eli got up and politely bowed before leaving the office with Umi following behind. As the door shut behind them, Eli felt a tug on her sleeve.

 

“Why..did you laugh at me?”, Umi quietly uttered. Her deeply saddened ayes stared at the floor.

 

Eli felt a pang of guilt shoot through her. The serious and stoic Sonoda Umi banging her head on a desk really was comical. Eli couldn’t deny that. But she knew Umi was sensitive from this morning and didn’t want to cause further grief. 

 

_I said I was allowed to indulge in my feelings today. Everything will go back to normal after this._

 

The blonde tilted her head to the side while smiling. 

 

“Umi..you made me laugh because you look so adorable when flustered”, Eli lifted her hand and gently placed it on Umi’s cheek. 

 

Umi flinched at the sudden contact and tried to hide her growing embarrassment. Eli giggled at her reaction. “See? That’s what I’m talking about. You’re just so cute that I can’t help but..”

 

Eli had subconsciously brought her face closer to Umi’s. So close that their foreheads were touching. As they maintained eye contact, it felt like an unspeakable bond was occurring within them. As if they knew exactly how the other was feeling. As if they were looking into each others soul. 

 

Umi felt Eli’s warm breath against her mouth and it made her think of so many shameless thoughts. One in particular was of closing the extremely short distance between their lips. 

 

_Am I dreaming? Are we about..are we about to kiss? Wait..but why? There’s no way this is real. This must have all been a dream. I must have fallen back asleep again. If this is a dream..if this is a dream then I can be brave enough. There will be no repercussions. I can be happy in my dreams._

 

Eli saw how red Umi’s face had become and could feel heat coming off of the younger girls forehead. This wasn’t a normal temperature.

 

“Eli I..”, Umi whispered, appearing to be in a daze. Her eyes slowly shut and then opened again.

 

_I need to be brave._

 

Umi’s breaths became heavier as she continued to speak. “Eli..I..love..you..”

 

She felt Eli’s soft lips against hers before everything faded to black. 

 

 


	8. Nishikino Maki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected plot twist arises. There was foreshadowing in a previous chapter about this. I didn't know if I was going to expand further on it back then, but here we are.

_Huh?_

Maki remained stunned at the sight in front of her before quickly turning back around and hiding behind a nearby wall. Her eyes began to sting.

_What?_

She peeked out from behind the wall and saw a grave looking Eli carrying Umi in her arms. Maki blinked quickly, trying to stop the stinging sensation in her eyes.

_I don't understand._

Eli frantically looked around her and started to run with Umi in her arms. Maki's gaze remained fixated on the two girls but had quickly blurred. She clicked her tongue while using her hand to rub her eyes.

_Impossible._

She felt tears.

On her hands.

On her face.

Streaming down her pink cheeks.

_Why?_

Maki stared at her trembling hands, unable to comprehend what just happened.

_Why am I crying?_

* * *

*Ding dong*

"Oh god yes, finally", Nico exhaled as she stretched her arms out above her head, "Today felt like a bigger drag than usual, don't you think?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I guess", Nozomi replied absentmindedly. She was staring out the classroom window. The sun had been shining non-stop since this morning's storm but the clouds circling around Nozomi's thoughts had remained.

Nico had already packed up her bag and was now waiting for Nozomi so they could go home together. She quickly grew impatient as she saw Nozomi wasn't making any effort to move.

"Tsk", Nico rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to continue being a witness to Nozomi's pity party. "One day away from your  _girlfriend_ isn't going to kill you, Nozomi."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Nozomi loudly sputtered.

"Now that I've gotten your attention, let's go", Nico said whilst beginning to pack up Nozomi's belongings.

"I saw her this morning, I don't understand why she's not here", Nozomi mumbled to herself as Nico grabbed her by the arm.

"Wow, you two just need to get a room and fu-"

"Nico!" A firm voice shouted from across the room. "Don't think you can weasel your way out of your study session."

Nico froze. She didn't need to turn around to know whose voice that was.

"You should already be ashamed that you need help from your kouhai." The voice continued, "I don't even know why I agreed to help you in the first place."

"For your information, I've been waiting for Nozomi to become a functioning human again", Nico replied, annoyed. "She's been acting lost without Eli."

"Eli?", Maki asked as she finally walked into the classroom.

Nozomi quickly answered, "I saw her walking to school but she never came to class."

"She was here, Nozomi. I saw her carrying Umi to the nurse's office", Maki answered with what sounded like a pang of sadness in her voice. Nozomi noticed the change in tone but didn't press further.

"What happened to Umi? Is she alright?", Nozomi genuinely asked.

"She fainted but she's okay. If Eli didn't come to class then I can only imagine she's been with Umi this whole time..", Maki's voice trailed off.

"I'm glad Umi is okay and all but why do you sound so sad Maki?" Nico asked looking confused, "I didn't know you had a heart."

If looks could kill, Nico would instantly be dead.

"I'm going to ignore that statement because lucky for you, we have some studying to do", Maki said through gritted teeth as she grabbed Nico's arm and dragged her out of the room. Nico would pay for what she just said. Maki would definitely make sure of that.

As Nozomi watched the two girls leave, she met Maki's eyes for a split second before turning away to face the window beside her. Staring darkly at her own reflection, Nozomi placed her head on the glass and sighed.

_I know that look all too well, Maki._


	9. The End of Ordinary Sorrow

The sound of a wrapper being opened echoed throughout the student council room. Eli walked over to the nearest table and slumped onto it whilst taking a generous bite out of her milk chocolate.

 

“Harasho!”

 

Eli closed her eyes as she savoured the sweet taste. 

 

_Eli..I love you._

 

Her eyes shot back open and her excited chews had slowed down. She let out a small pant and slowly bit her bottom lip. Eli’s mind continued to wander back to this moment. During class, at home, anywhere really. Umi’s confession had made Eli so, so weak. But the kiss, the kiss is what held her mind captive. Eli calmly licked her lips as she remembered how sweet and luscious Umi’s were. 

 

_She kissed me._

 

_Umi kissed me._

 

_Her soft lips were on mine._

 

Eli slammed her hand on the table multiple times as she used the other to cover her blazing, hot face. This had been a common occurrence over the past few days. Of course, she didn’t let anyone else see this reaction. 

 

“Eli?”

 

“Ahahaha…ahahahaha, I still can’t believe it”, Eli started to laugh as she continued to slam her hand down on the poor table. She was too caught up in the moment to notice the person who was trying to get her attention. 

 

“Believe what?”, Umi asked. A puzzled look had plastered itself onto her face. She had come to visit Eli because they hadn’t seen each other since the fainting incident. Umi had been at home these past few days recovering. Although, she couldn’t help but wonder if she was still delirious. Eli acting like this was definitely not in character. 

 

Eli stopped laughing and hardened up as she finally recognised the voice calling out to her. _Out of all the people to walk in..it just had to be her._ She cautiously looked up at at Umi and immediately changed her expression to something more neutral. Or tried to, at least. There was no hiding her aggressive blush. 

 

“Welcome back, Umi”, Eli smiled at the younger girl as she stood up and walked towards her. 

 

“I’m happy to be back”, Umi wholeheartedly returned Eli’s smile. She had been looking forward to this moment all day. So much so that even Honoka and Kotori continuously asked why she was so happy. Umi had made up some excuse about finally being back at school. But in reality it was because she missed Eli and couldn’t wait to see her again.

 

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, I was really worried about you”, Eli said as she pulled Umi into a hug.

 

The younger girl blushed as she gradually reciprocated the hug. Hugging Eli felt like she had just walked through the gates of heaven. _I’ve been so spoilt these past few days. I really need to stop otherwise I’m just going to become more hurt._

 

Umi sighed and reluctantly pulled herself away from Eli. “I came here to tell you something”, Umi said as she placed her bag down on the table.

 

“Y-yes?”, Eli’s voice cracked. There was only one thing Umi could be talking about.

 

“The other day when I fainted”, Umi said as she unzipped her bag, “Maki told me that you carried me to the nurse’s office”.

 

Eli was astounded. “Wait, Maki saw us?”

 

Umi continued to rummage through her bag, “Yeah, that’s what she told me..ah here it is!” Umi took out a small, clear bag full of chocolate. She looked at it for a few moments before looking back at Eli with a tender gaze.

 

“I made you these”, Umi said as she extended the chocolates towards Eli. “To thank you for helping me when I fainted and when we were walking to school as well.” Umi tried to ignore how embarrassingly clingy she’d been towards Eli on that morning. 

 

Eli’s heart skipped a beat as she received Umi’s chocolates. _She’s so precious..I love her so much._

 

 _“_ I also wanted to apologise”, Umi continued. “I can’t remember what happened before I blacked out so if I did anything weird, I’m sorry. Apparently I did some weird things at home so I just wanted to make sure.”

 

The blonde abruptly turned her back on Umi as she went to put the chocolates in her bag.

 

“Don’t worry Umi, you didn't do anything weird”, Eli replied coolly. “Thanks for the chocolates.”

 

Umi breathed a sigh of relief, “I’m so glad I didn’t…oh when I walked in you seemed to be excited about something. What was that about?”

 

Eli paused for a split second before turning around to flash a huge smile at Umi. “It was nothing.”

 

Umi looked at Eli’s smile and saw that her eyes were firmly shut tight. _Maybe it’s something she doesn’t want to discuss with me. Maybe it’s about Nozomi..Why else would she have been so happy?_

 

“I see. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow Eli. Thank you again.”, Umi said with a bittersweet smile on her face. As she grabbed her bag and began to walk out of the room, she felt a hand clasp her own.

 

“Wait.”, Eli said, desperation swimming across her face. “You really don’t remember anything?”

 

_Maybe she’s lying. Maybe she was so embarrassed that she’s pretending not to remember._

 

Umi turned around and looked deep into Eli’s eyes. “I don’t remember anything after we left Principal Minami’s office.” 

 

Eli examined those yellow orbs furiously. _She’s..she’s not lying._ A dejected sigh escaped Eli’s mouth as she let go of Umi’s hand. “I’m sorry for holding you up. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“U-uh, don’t worry about it. Goodbye.”, Umi stuttered. She quickly walked out of the student council room and slid the door shut.

 

_SO SHAMELESS!_

 

Umi dramatically threw herself onto the wall and used it to support her weight. She could only keep up that facade for so long. 

 

_She held my hand. Eli actually held my hand. Again. This is too good to be true. All of these moments between us are increasing and I can’t believe it._

 

Umi placed her hand (the one that Eli held) over her heart and exhaled. _I really have to stop getting so excited but I can’t help it._ She took herself off the wall and looked at the student council room door.

 

_I wonder what she wanted me to remember._

 

_—_

Eli traced around her lips with her finger, as she used her free hand to examine Umi’s chocolate. They were all in the shape of a love heart with Eli’s name written on them with pink icing. She opened the plastic and put one chocolate in her mouth. It was deliciously sweet. 

 

_I’ll be waiting for the day you remember._


	10. Intertwined Fates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally and strategically planned this chapter to have X months delay in order to realistically portray the amount of time passed in story. Hahahahaha...please enjoy (and sorry for the delay).

"Why did you call me up here?"

Nozomi continued watching the clouds overhead. Her eyes followed their slow movement.

"Look, Nozomi, I really don't have ti-"

"Have you ever been in love?"

Nozomi quickly snapped her head towards Maki. The younger girl immediately noticed that something was off. The usually upbeat and energetic Nozomi had disappeared. Instead, she was greeted with lifeless eyes and a sorrowful aura.

Maki cleared her throat, "That's none of your business."

"Is that so?" Nozomi half smiled. "I suppose it makes sense, we aren't really that close."

"Um..is this what you wanted to ask me?"

"No", Nozomi's face darkened. "What did you see on the day Umi fainted?"

_I love you._

Maki gasped as she recalled the confession. It had been months since that incident happened. Why was Nozomi asking about it now? But more importantly, the repressed feelings Maki had been harbouring this whole time began to seep out.

"I-I saw..", Maki gritted her teeth. "I saw Eli carrying Umi to the nurses office."

Nozomi held her stare. "And?"

"And what?!", Maki's frustration was quickly rising.

"Just answer the question. What else did you see?"

"Tsk. I just told you!"

"Bullshit. You're leaving something out", Nozomi began to walk towards the younger girl.

"Who do you think you are asking me this _now_?", Maki's fuse had broken. "It's been months, get over it!"

"Oh, I could very well say the same thing to you", Nozomi replied coldly.

Maki gave her infamous death glare. "Umi kissed her."

Nozomi's expression remained neutral.

Maki averted her gaze to the floor. The dull pain in her chest had come back.

"You love her, don't you?"

"..And what if I said yes?"

Nozomi slowly wrapped her arms around Maki. The younger girl could feel warm tears on her neck.

"I'd say please support me, because I can't do this alone anymore", Nozomi sobbed in Maki's chest.

Maki's expression broke as she reciprocated the embrace. "I'll only support you just because I need someone to support me too."

"Wow, even during a serious moment you're still tsundere", Nozomi let out a small giggle in between her crying.

"Please don't compete with Nico for biggest idiot."

"Pfft..hahahahaha", Nozomi cried and laughed at the same time.

"Jeez, are you meant to be sad or happy?", Maki rolled her eyes whilst a small smile crept onto her face. Maybe things weren't so doomed after all.

* * *

Umi slowly rose her bow and took aim at the target in front. Her precision was crucial.

_Now!_

She had found the perfect position and let go of the arrow.

_I..love..you.._

_Huh?_

"Woah! That was so close, Umi!", Honoka and Kotori awed in unison.

Umi began to shake as she dropped her bow, it fell with a dramatic thud.

_"Wait. You really don't remember anything?"_

Umi's trembling hands touched her lips as she began to connect the dots.

"It can't be.."

Umi covered her face as she slumped on the floor and flailed in embarrassment.

_I remember._


	11. (Not) Content & Lonely

I watched as you practised your duet. You had already mastered the choreography after a few hours which was duly expected. I would say that everyone was a competent dancer but you were in a completely different league. It was as if everyone danced in monotone and you were the captivating colour that rendered an audience speechless. I could hear shouts of “Encore!” in my mind whenever you finished dancing. I would expect that you were no stranger to those calls in the past. I’ve never told you just how much your dancing inspires me. But let’s be completely honest, I haven’t told you much of anything. I’m always shy or flustered or whatever other synonym relates to me being unable to communicate with you. 

 

“E-Eli? What are you doing?!!”

 

“Hahahahaha. Look at how red you are Nozomi.”, Eli held her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably. “I’m stroking your hair, just like the song says!”

 

“You’re such an idiot!”

 

Eli stopped laughing and teasingly raised her eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Am I being too seductive for you?” She winked at Nozomi. 

 

Nozomi’s expression fell as she brought her lips close to sly fox’s ear.

 

“Don’t test me, Eli.”

 

“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! DID YOU SEE THAT?” Hanayo and Kotori continuously kept hitting each other as they screamed. 

 

..How many more weeks of flirting would I have to put up with? I sighed as I looked away for the umpteenth time today. A few months ago I would have felt dejected and hopeless. But now I had come to terms with everything and accepted that nothing would ever happen between us. Except the kiss we shared when I was delirious. The kiss that I had no intention of ever bringing up because ignorance is bliss and no one needs to deal with complications..Who am I kidding? I have to bring it up eventually. To apologise, more than anything. Because I know you know about it. I remember that glistening look in your eye as you stopped me from walking out of the student council room. You know that I kissed you and I know you want to talk about it. But what you don’t know is that I know that you know because you think that I don’t remember! Lady luck favours me on this one occasion. I wish I could be as confident as delirious me. Just openly confessing my love and then kissing my love. Like it was no big deal. Like I haven’t dreamed of kissing you for over a year and it just so happened that we have kissed now. My lips on yours. Your lips on mine..So sweet. So soft. So perfect. Like how perfect you are. And how sweet you are. And so kind because you don’t outright hate me. Or maybe you do but I am not going to think like that because I am a new person! Reflecting on this experience has allowed me to finally give up on you. 

 

“Lonelyyyy, content to be lonelyyyy~” Eli laughed as she spun around with Nozomi.

 

That’s right no more dwelling on this love.

 

“I want to capture your heart!” Nozomi sang. 

 

No more.

 

Eli winked, “Don’t worry, it’s all yours.” 

 

“Stop!” Nozomi laughed as she playfully hit Eli’s shoulder. 

 

“Stop.” 

 

Umi rose from her position and glared at the two girls. “Take this seriously.”

 

“H-Huh?” Eli and Nozomi gave each other a confused look. 

 

“This song is about a longing love. Not a playful one. Please understand this as you perform it.” Umi stated as she sat back down, her expression neutral.

 

Completely over it. 

 

* * *

 

 

 _She’s so obvious._ Maki thought to herself. The fact that nobody else seemed to notice this was honestly..not surprising. Hanayo and Kotori were too busy fangirling over NozoEli. Honoka and Rin were too busy doing, well, whatever weirdo things they usually do. Nico was taking selfies, being vain as usual and Umi looked like she was going to kill someone. What a great after school practise session! 

 

Maki rolled her eyes. 

 

* * *

 

 

“Hahahaha!”, Nozomi and Eli laughed as they danced again.

 

“Stop laughing!” Umi yelled. “I already told you this is meant to be a serious song.”

 

“What’s your problem, Umi?” Eli replied, impatiently.

 

“I’ve already stated what my problem is, _Eli._ ” Umi mockingly replied. “Neither of you are taking this seriously!”

 

Eli gasped as she squinted her eyes. She was about to walk towards the younger girl but Nozomi put her arm out and stopped the blonde.

 

“Eli, come on, she wrote this song, you don’t have to argue.” 

 

“No. I won’t be spoken to like this”, Eli’s eyes were furious as she stared directly at Umi. “Since you’re the expert, why don’t you come and show me how I’m meant to be performing?”

 

“Wh-What?” Umi stuttered.

 

“Show me,” Eli walked towards Umi and grabbed her hand while her other caressed the younger girls hip, “What I’m doing wrong?”

 

Umi’s face turned a furious red as she tried to register this sudden contact. 

 

“I-I..”, She stuttered.

 

Eli pulled her along as they held each other. “Come on, Umi. Be serious. This is a serious song remember?” 

 

Umi’s eyes started to glisten, “Eli, I’m..”

 

“No. No talking, no laughing. Nothing but singing.” Eli continued to pull the younger girl along as they faux danced.

 

“I-I can’t sing this with y-“, Umi’s eyes continued to tear up.

 

“Why? You didn’t accept how Nozomi and I were singing it, so show me the correct way.”

 

Umi started to shake as tears fell across her cheeks. 

 

“That’s enough!”, Maki yelled. “Eli, are you blind or something?! You’re making her cry!”

 

“What are you talking about?” Eli looked at the young girl in front of her and saw the teardrops that had been streaming down her face. _I didn’t even look at her while I went on this idiotic rant. What’s wrong with me? I’m so disgusted with myself._ She clenched her teeth. _I can’t even look at her. What the hell is wrong with me?_

 

“Look at me.” Umi said as she wiped her tears away.

 

“I-I’m so sorry..I never me-“

 

“Look. At. Me.” Umi repeated.

 

Eli reluctantly looked up at a dishevelled Umi. She was shaking, her cheeks and eyes both red.

 

“This is what I felt like while writing this song. This is a love that was never meant to be.”

 

“But it doesn’t have to be like that.” Eli looked away. “Nozomi and I can make this song have a happy ending.”

 

Umi snorted, “Of course you can. You know what? Make it happy. I don’t care anymore. Do whatever you want.”

 

Umi let go of Eli’s hands and walked away.


	12. Nani sore? Imi wakanai

“I can’t believe her. Argh!”, Umi slammed her fist into the wall. The adrenaline of what just happened was making her heart beat like crazy. 

 

Umi exhaled as she used both hands to brush her hair back. 

 

B _reath in and out. In and out. Inhale. Exhale. Everything will be okay._

 

_“Nozomi and I can make this song have a happy ending.”_

 

“JUST SHUT UP!”, Umi shouted, her voice boomed throughout the hallway. She began to tremble as she moved her back to the wall and slowly slid down. 

 

_I can’t do this anymore. Why did I think I could handle it when I obviously couldn’t? I’ve really done it now. Any sliver of hope has now been ruined because I couldn’t control my anger. I’ve embarrassed myself and I don’t even know how I could face her now._

 

Umi continued to spiral down her train of negative thoughts as she curled up into a ball. 

 

_I should’ve just told her I remembered the kiss. I would’ve gotten my concrete answer and then could’ve accepted it. But now this has turned into a stereotypical yuri manga that has angst due to miscommunication. Hanayo and Kotori always lament about that trope and now I’ve become part of the cycle. What would be so bad about rejection anyway? I already think she doesn’t love me so what difference does it make if it was actually confirmed?_

 

_It would be a reality where Eli doesn’t love me._

 

Umi smiled as silent tears streamed down her face. 

* * *

 

“No.”, Maki stood firmly in front of the roofs door. “There is no way in hell I’m letting you go after her.”

 

Eli wasn’t really sure how to react. “I..um..sorry?”

 

“What you just did was so unnecessarily cruel, I can’t even begin to explain.” 

 

Eli looked away as she started to rub her arm. “I agree with you but that’s why I need to go and apologise.”

 

Maki began tapping her foot. “Do you even know why Umi reacted the way she did?”

 

Nozomi sighed as she covered her face. This wasn’t going to end well.

 

Eli replied, “She’s kind of a perfectionist about things and I wasn’t adhering to her vis-“

 

“Wrong.”, Maki swiftly cut Eli off. 

 

“Maki, please don’t.”, Nozomi mumbled through her fingers. Her heartbeat began to increase.

 

“I can’t believe you’re so oblivious!” Maki mockingly laughed. “I’ll explain it to you.”

 

Eli looked puzzled. “Explain what?”

 

Nozomi’s breathing became heavier, “No, no, please stop..”

 

Maki sarcastically cleared her throat, “Eli! Umi lo-“

 

“I LOVE YOU, MAKI!” Nozomi belted out at the top of her lungs.

 

“What?” Maki’s jaw dropped.

 

“What?” Eli’s eyes burst out of her head.

 

“WHAT?!” Nico screamed whilst in the middle of taking a selfie.

 

Nozomi had seven pairs of eyes staring at her. She gulped as sweat beads began to crawl down her face. She began to quietly mumble “-oke..”

 

Maki had turned into a non responding tomato while Nico practically flew across the rooftop to face Nozomi. 

 

“Oi! You better explain whatever the hell this is!” Nico violently spat in Nozomi’s face.

 

Nozomi awkwardly laughed.”Um..it was a joke!..Hahahaha..”

 

Maki snapped out of her daze and began to run away. “Nozomi, you idiot!” She yelled as the roof door slammed behind her. Faint footsteps could be heard running down the stairs. 

 

Nozomi breathed a sigh of relief. _That was embarrassing but I had to stop Maki from blurting out Umi’s true feelings. If all goes according to plan, those two will bump into each other. You can thank me later Maki._

 

Nozomi’s confidence began to come back. “Come on everyone! Look at the date!”, she laughed.

 

Nico looked down at her phone, dumbfounded. “April..1st..”

 

“See, Nico? Nothing to worry about.” Nozomi winked at her friend.

 

Nico blinked a few times as she tried to make sense of everything. When all of a sudden it clicked. “Nozomi! You fuc-“

 

“Okay! I think it’s time to get back to practise!” Eli said, conveniently cutting Nico off. She faced Nozomi. “That was..such an odd joke.”

 

Nozomi nervously looked around at everything except Eli. “W-well you know me..hahaha.”

 

“Hm..I suppose I can see where you were coming from, but next time..” Eli pulled Nozomi’s face closer to hers, “Don’t joke about loving someone because..”

 

Eli moved her lips inches away from Nozomi’s ear.

 

“People’s feelings could get hurt.”

 

Nozomi’s face was radiating heat that could rival the sun.

 

“S-sure”. She gulped. 

 

“Good!”, Eli cheerfully replied as she pulled away. “I’m glad we had this conversation.” Her eyes glazed over as she gave a fake smile. 

 

_Umi..is it really true?_

* * *

 

Maki was speeding through the hallways when she suddenly tripped over something.

 

“Ow!”, Maki landed with a thud.

 

“Ohmygodimsosorry!” Umi immediately shot up and ran over to Maki. 

 

“Umi? Did I trip over..you?”, Maki asked.

 

“Uh..long story short..yes..you did.”, Umi bowed her head in shame. “I, um, I was kind of being a depressed ball and..that doesn’t really matter.”

 

Umi quickly wiped her tears and shot Maki a smile as she put her hand out. 

 

_Her eyes are so red..and yet she still put on a brave face for me. Umi.._

 

Maki blushed as she grabbed Umi’s strong hand. 

 

_I can feel the callouses she has from archery. Yet, her hand still feels soft and protective._

 

“You’re not hurt anywhere are you?”, Umi asked, concerned. 

 

Maki quickly let go of her senior’s hand and brushed herself off. “No, I’m fine.” 

 

Umi breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad! That’s the last thing I needed..But enough about me. Why were you running?”

 

Maki’s eyes went dead as she recalled Nozomi’s “confession”. “Some idiot annoyed me. Nothing special.”, she replied with a venomous tone.

 

“Was it Ni-“

 

“It wasn’t Nico.”

 

“Oh..I see. Well, I’m afraid I have to get going now. I’m sorry again and hope you feel better soon. Bye Maki!” Umi rushed off, leaving Maki no room to object.

 

_Umi, you really are a kind soul._

 

Maki smiled to herself as she walked back to the rooftop.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your sake and my sake, let's just pretend this was updated on April 1st okay? Okay.


End file.
